In electronic devices, there are some types of electronic devices that contain an air-cooling fan such as a notebook-type personal computer (hereinafter abbreviated as a “note PC”). The note PC generally includes exhaust vents on the sides or on the rear surface of its case and radiation fins disposed immediately inside of the exhaust vents. The note PC contains a heat generating electronic component such as a CPU LSI. In such a note PC, heat generated by the heat generating electronic component is transferred to the radiation fins. The note PC further includes a fan inside its case so as to send air toward the radiation fins. The air sent from the fan takes heat away from the radiation fins while traveling through the radiation fins, and is then discharged from the exhaust vents to the outside of the case.
Note that one of the considerations that an air cooling system of the note PC has may be dust control. The air sent from the fan contains dust acquired while traveling various routs. Hence, such dust may partially accumulate around air inlets of the radiation fins or inside the radiation fins without passing through the radiation fins. As such dust accumulation continues, air channels may be narrowed to lower heat radiation efficiency. The lowered heat radiation efficiency may result in an increase in temperature inside the case, which may degrade electronic components inside the case to induce breakdown of the device. There is proposed a configuration to overcome the aforementioned outcome. In this proposed configuration, space is provided between the radiation fins and the fan, and an opening is formed in the case to communicate with the space between the radiation fins and the fan. Further, a cover is disposed in the opening of the case in a normal status whereas the cover is removed in a cleaning status so as to eliminate the dust accumulated around the inlets of the radiation fins. Further, there is proposed another configuration in which a dust filer for capturing dust is disposed between the radiation fins and the fan. Moreover, there is proposed still another configuration in which the dust filter includes projections disposed slightly inside the inlets of the radiation fins. In this configuration, dust that has entered slightly inside the inlets of the radiation fins may be eliminated in addition to the dust captured by the dust filter.
However, when an electronic device includes a dust filter capable of reliably capturing the dust, the disposed dust filter itself may serve as the resistance to thereby inhibit the air from flowing. As a result, the heat radiation efficiency may be lowered. Meanwhile, even if the dust filter has reduced resistance, long-term use of the device may result in accumulation of the dust around the inlets of the radiation fins or inside the radiation fins. With the aforementioned proposed configurations, it may be possible to eliminate the dust accumulated around the inlets of the radiations fins; however, it may be difficult to eliminate the dust accumulated inside the radiation fins. The dust may not accumulate so much inside the radiation fins compared to the dust accumulated around the inlets of the radiations fins. However, dust may accumulate inside the radiation fins due to the long-term use of the note PC in some usage environment of the note PC.
In addition, there is proposed another configuration that includes a brush for cleaning the inside of the radiation fins. Note that the aforementioned brush is effective in cleaning of the radiation fins but is not effective in inhibiting the dust from accumulating.